Control device for the filling of turbotransmission circuits



m y in 1%. F. KUGEL ET Al, 2,374,941

CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE FILLING OF TURBO TRANSMISSION CIRCUITS Filed may31, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zr 2 F 'Z' JW t Pl 2: and BY flelmzzz Benz l,15. F. KUGEL ET AL CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE FILLING OF TURBO TRANSMISSIONCIRCUITS Filed May 31, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 1NVENTOR5 l l l F/z'zzFaye! ma Helm at Benz l, 1945. F. KUGEL ET AL 2,374,941

CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE FILLING OF TURBO TRANSMISSION CIRCUITS Filed May31, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS E'ZZZ Kaye! 0770 flelfizzz B6122,

May 1945- F.,KUGEL ETAL' 2,374,

CONTROL DEVICE-FOR THE FILLING OF TURBO TRANSMISSION CIRCUITS Filed May31, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 I l 'll F Z Z J IZ an BY Felmzlz %erzx fieli'Afro/Max K 5 F. KUGEL EIAL ,37

Filed May :51; 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 May 1, 1945.

CONTROL DEVICE FOR FILLING OF TURBO TRANSMISSION CIRCUITS INVENTORS I mf-z [faqel and BY ffelnz a4 6'12 x f c 2746/)" Ar a/Mir May 1, 1945. F.KUGEL. E'TAL. 2,374,941

CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE FILLING OF TKJRBO TRANSMISSION cmcums Filed May31, 1941 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTORS fizz): Kaye! am BY Helm! 5677::

Patented May 1, 1945 CONTROL DEVICE FOR THEFILLING F TURBOTRANSMISSIONcmcUrrs Fritz Kugcl and Helmut Benz, Heidenheim-onthe-Brenz, Germany,assignors to American Voith Contact 00. Inc., New

' poration of New York Application'May '31, 1941, Serial No. 395,990

InG

York. N. Y., a corermany July 1, 1940 f "3'Claims. (Cl. 60-54) Thisinvention relates to turbotransmissions, one Or more circuits ol whichstart operation by being filled with fluid and stop operation by beingemptied. Vehicles which are equipped-with such turbotransmissionsrequire a rapid filling of clr-' cults for starting as well as forchanging from one circuit to the other. Transmissions which need thisfeature are therefore equipped with afillin'g device which supplies anexceptionally large amount of fluid for the filling but allows at thesame time a reduced amount of fluid to act to keep the circuit only sofilled as to avoid load losses and the generation of heat.

The invention then consists of a combination of a sump for thecollection of fluid, a pumpfor sup plying fluid from the sump, areservoir disposed above the sump, transmission circuits disposed belowthe reservoir and above the sump, and a' control member disposed betweenthe circuits and the pump, the control member having means todirect thefluid to a circuit to compensate for its leakage,

and having means to receive fluid from a circuit twodifierent positionsof the main control'valve of Figure 3;

Figure 6 shows diagrammatically an alternative arrangement with anintermediate tank in front of the filling device;

Fig. 7 shows a detail section taken substantially.

on the line ll of Fig. 8';

Figure 8 show diagrammatically an arrangement of a save-all gutter forthe fluid 'supply to the filling device;

Figure 9 shows diagrammatically the arrangement of a control, oneauxiliary tank of which is filled during idling as well as duringoperation of a one circuit;

Figure 10 and 11 show in enlarged central sections two positions of themain control valve of v Fi re being emptied, and having means fordirecting a supply of fluid in larger quantity than the quantity for theleakage compensation to immediately and quickly fill the circuit to befilled.

The invention has the advantage in comparison to known devices that thecontrol fluid for the filling device need not be controlled by a specialI br ke used as a time measuring device, thus elimimeisuring device,such as a manometer or an oil na ng any fouling caused by breakdowns ofthese instruments. In-the present invention the control depends upon theemptying of a circuit. As far as additional control measures arenecessary they are made part of themain. control piston which workscontinuously during the working period.

The figures show several examples of the designs of the controlaccording to the invention:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a turbotr'ansmission with elevatedstorage tank, the fluid of which running out of a circuit operates avalve with the aid oil a balance; 1

Figure 2 shows diagrammatically a transmis-.

sion of the same design, the running-out fluid of which is brought underpressure by an impeller wheel and controls a valve with the aid of aspring-loaded piston; t

Figure 3 shows a central section through the main coiitrol'valve and atransmission with a storage tank arranged in low position and a fillingpump with two blade wheels as well a a secondary tank for idling;

Figs. 4 and 5 show in enlarged central sections Figure 12showsdiagrammatically the arrangement of a control with two auxiliarytanks, and

Figures 13 and 14 show in enlarged central sections two positions of themain control valve of Figure 12.

In Fig. 1, reference numerals -l and 2 signify two circuits of aturbotransmission, 3 the, main drive shaft and 4 a bevel .wheel pair forthe drive of the pump 5. This pump continuously delivers to the tank Ithe fluid which escapes out of the circuits and collects -in thecollectingtank 20. This tank may be arranged above the circuits, so thatthe fluid flows to the circuits through the conduit 8 by gravity. Duringoperation or a circuit only the port 9 is free for the passage of thefluid. The fluid is fed by the main control valve In to one. or theother circuit. I and designate controlled discharge ports of the ancult. The fluid which leaves by leaking during the operation and bychanging the speed, passes through thedischarge ports II and I2,accumulates in the sump l3, and flows through the port It to theweighing vessel l5. This has a discharge port It by which the fluidflows to the collec'ting tank 20. The two ports l4 and iii are sopositioned in relation to each other that in normaloperation the smallquantity of fluid which escapes by leakage fiows without obstructioninto the weighing vessel IS. The port- I6 is smaller than the port H,but permits the normal leakage to fiowthrough both the ports I! and It,into tank 20 without actuating the balance beam 'lL- However, during theemptying of one of the circuits a larger quantity of fiuid enters thevessel and being heavier than the counterweight l 8 tips the balancebeam l1 and lowers the valve cone l9, Thereupon a larger port, opened ythe valve is imaddition to the port 9 is made available tor the passageof the fluid from the tank I to the main control valve I o. This portremain open until the fluid has almost completely escaped through theport it, whereupon the counterweight it brings the balance to itsoriginal position and the valve 19 is closed again. The port l6 and thevalve port It must be in such relation to each other that thecircuitlbeing filled will be completely filled in the time needed toempty the other circuit.

Fig. 2 illustrates a transmission with a somewhat similar arrangement.The fluid flowing from the sump l3 runs through the ort It into acollecting funnel 3B and from there to an impeller wheel 3|. This wheelis also driven by the mainshaft 3 by means of a pair of bevel gears 32.The fluid is brought under pressure by this impeller wheel and actuatespiston 34 in the auxiliary cylinder 33. The piston moves valve cone 35.An auxiliary escape port 36 is provided and dimensioned to allow theleakage fluid to escape without influencingthe valve 35. The funnel 39is filled when one of the circuits is emptied, the pump 3i thengenerating its full pressure whereby the valve 35 is opened. When afterthe emptying of one of the circuits, the funnel 33 is drained of itsfluid through the port 35, the pressure ceases in the cylinder 33 andthe valve 35 is again closed by its spring.

Fig. 3 portrays an arrangement of the invention with the fluid tank inlow position. The two circuits l and 2. are formed with stationarycasings. A pump provided with two separate blade wheels 43 and M isdriven by the bevelv This P p,

gear pair a by the main shaft 3. sucks the fluid from the tank 42 by theinlet 63 and supplies it by the spiral passage 44 and the pipe 45 to themain control valve 66. 6'! designates the piston of the main controlvalve, 48 the connecting line to the circuit I, 49 the connecting lineto the circuit 2. The line 50 forms an inlet pipe to the pump. The line50 leads from a chamber in valve 46 also connected with the escape port52 through the throttling device Pipe 53 leads to an auxiliary tank 54,the highest fluid level of which is flxed by overflow pipe 55. The wheel51 of the pump with its blade wheel 40 is driven by the pair of bevelwheels 4 through shaft 56. The driving half 58 of a small turbocouplingis also fixed to the shaft 56. The blade wheel ti is connected with thedriven half 52 of this turbocoupling through disc 59, hollow shaft Biland coupling casing 5|. The fluid for fillin this turbocoupling issupplied through ring channel 63 by the pipe 55. At the outercircumference of the coupling casing iii are arranged needed to replaceleakage, andthis quantity is supplied by the blade wheel 49. The fillingtime may be regulated by the throttling device 5|, as according to itsadjustment more Or less of the escaping fluid must pass, through thecoupling 58, 62 and accordingly the blade wheel M is actuated a shorteror longer'time. The auxiliary tank 5tserves for the starting of one ofthe two circuits from idling position as no other fluid volumeaccumulates during idling. It is not necessary when shifting from one ofthe two circuits to idling position to fill the coupling 58, 62; thethrottling device is bypassed then by the control piston 41, so that theescaping fluid runs quickly away without entering the conduit.

Diflerent positions of the control piston '41 are shown in Figs. 3 to 5to illustrate the working method. The idling position corresponds toFigure 4. In this position the flow from the supply conduit to thecircuits is interrupted. The fluid flows now from 35 in the direction ofthe arrow I53 to the conduit 53 and to the auxiliary tank 53; as soon asthis tank is filled the fluid flows back through the overflow pipe 55 tothe tank 42. The empting fluid which runs out of the circuit I throughthe conduit 58 when changing gear, as shown by the arrow 85, may flowfreely to the escape conduit 52 and is not forced through the conduit58, The same free flow occurs when the fluid flows in direction of arrow66 when emptying the circuit 2.

In Fig. 3 the position of the control piston 37 is shown forthe fillingoperation of circuit i. In this case the fluid flows from the supplyline 45 in the direction of the arrow 61 to the conduit 38 and to thecircuit l. The fluid in the control valve may escape now only throughthe throttling device 5|. If the circuit 2 has been fllled before andnow empties, the fluid flows out of conduit 59 in the direction of thearrow 58 to the conduit 50. When the circuit 1 has been started fromidling position, the fluid flows in direction of arrow 69. When thecircuit 2 or the auxiliary tank 54 respectively has been emptied, theflow through conduit ceases and the coupling 58, 62 empties itselfthrough the ports 64. To lead away the eventually occurring leakages theport 5| is sufllcient and no more fluid flows to the oulet ports 55,which are either continually open or automatically controllable.

This arrangement works so that when changing gears, i. e., when changingfrom the circuit l to the circuit 2 or vice versa, or when starting oneof the two circuits from idling positionoperating fluid is supplied bythe conduit 53 and the ring channel 53 to the turbocoupling 53, 52,until the contents of the circuit (l or 2 or the auxiliary tank 55respectively) to be emptied has been evacuated partly through thethrottling device 55 and partly through the outlet ports 64. The fillingof the coupling 53, 62 has the effect, that in addition to thecontinuously running blade wheel 40, the blade wheel 41 is alsoimpelled, and thus the conduit 45 receives suddenly a greater quantityof fluid which fills completely the circuit being supplied. After suchcircuit conduit 50.

Fig. 5 shows the position of the control piston 61 for filling thecircuit 2. From the supply line 45 the fluid flows in direction of arrow21 to the conduit 39. The fluid is supplied to conduit 50 in directionof arrow 28 or arrow 29, depending on whether the circuit I is then inoperation or idling. I

In Fig. 6 the use of an intermediate tank is shown. The conduit 53 (seeFig. 3) leads in this case not directly to the pump but flrst to theintermediate tank ll. This tank is emptied by the conduit 13 into thering channel 63 as quickly as the outlet ports 66 allow. Accordingly,the emptying time for the circuit to be put out of operation may beshortened.

In the control shown in Figures 3 to 5 both circuits have stationarycasings. But where it is not feasible to design one of the turbocircuits with a stationary casing, the arrangements according to Figs. 7and 8 may be used. With such circuits the fluid escaping through theoutlet ports 1.0 at the circumference is accumulated in a save-allgutter 1| to avoid unnecessary vaporizing of the fluid. The save-allgutter is divided by walls 13, 14 and a channel 15 supplies the fluidhas been filled, a smaller quantity of fluid is irom the upper part ofthe save-all gutter to the main control valve 46. Asin this embodimentthe transmission is so disposed that its lower part i is below the levelof the control valve, and hence the fluid from the opening I2 cannotenter by gravity the control 46, the transmission is provided with thesaid partitions or walls I3, 14 below ports which are connected bythe'channei 15, which in turn guides the fluid of the upper part of thetransmission by gravity to the control 46. The fluid passing out of 12,may drain into a tank such as the tank 42 of Figure 3. In Figure 3 thefluid draining out of the port 64 of the' transmission 58, 62 drops bygravity into tank 42. The other reference numerals in Figs. 7 and 8correspond to the numerals in Figure 3.

Figures 9 to 11 show another arrangement of the main control valve 46which is constructed for a transmission with a circuit I with stationarycasing whereas the arrangement of the other cir-,- cult 2 is supposed tobe unable to catch the escaping fluid. The pump for this arrangement hasto be completed according to Figure 3. .In this case the auxiliary tank54 enters into action as well when idling as during operation of thecircuit'z. The control valve 41a is of hollow construction. Its borereceives the stationary pisbe readily understood by those skilled in theart without further description, it being home in mind that numerouschanges may be made in the details disclosed -.without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as set out in the following claims. I

We claim:

1. A control appliance for a filling device for turbotransmissioncircuits having a pair of circuits both of which may be emptied,- oreither of ing fluid from said reservoir and from a circuit.

ton '80 with the bore 8|, and cross channels in the piston 80 allow thepassing of the fluid'for filling the auxiliary tank 54. Duringoperation.

of the circuit I (Fig. 9) the fluid flows from the supply conduit 45a inthe direction of the arrow 82 to the'conduit 48. Regardless of whetherthe circuit 2 was idle or in earlier operation, the fluid tank 54empties in the direction oi the arrow 83 through the throttling device5Ia and the conduit 50, the pump shown in Fig. 3 operating until-theauxiliary tank 54 has become emptyu During idling (Fig. 10) theauxiliary tank is filled. in direction of arrow 84 and the conduit 48has a free outlet to the escape conduit 52a in the direction of arrow85. During operation of the circuit 2 (Fig. 11) this circuit is filledthrough the conduit 49 in the direction of arrow 88 and at the same timein the direction of the arrow 81 the auxiliary tank 54 is filled throughthe conduit 53. The dimensioning of the cross channels in piston 80allows the regulation of the fluid flowing to the two branches. Thecircuit I, 11' in earlier operation, empties in the direction of thearrow 88 through the throttling device 5|.

Another arrangement of the invention is shown in Figures 12 to. 14, foruse when'the'fiuld contents of the two circuits cannot be conducted to90 is emptied at each change'ot gear when changq ing' from circuit 2 tocircuit l or from neutral tocircuit I. In Figure 12 the control valve isshown in position for the first speed, in Figure 13 for neutral, and inFigure 14 for the second speed. The arrows 92 to 99 inclusive indicatethe direction of the fluid in the different operations.

9| is a conduit to the auxiliary tank 90. The overflow conduit 55 may beused for both auxiliary tanks.

Reference is made to the U. S. Patent to Faic Canaan, No. 2,083,828, ofJune 15, 1937, of which this invention is an improvement. 7

From the foregoing it is believed that-the construction and advantagesof the invention may being emptied and directing it to said additionalmeans to set it in operation and having means directing the largerquantity of fluid from the pump 'to the circuit being filled anddirecting the smaller quantity of fluid to the circuit when filled, andalso having throttle means discharging fluid in the control member tothe sump, said fluid coming from the circuit being emptied and from thereservoir, when any circuit is emptied, the time of discharge of fluidthrough 'the throttle means determining the time the fluid -in thecontrol member can actuate the said additional means, all of said valveconnections being made while the valve is in one position.

2. A control appliance for a filling device for turbotransmissioncircuits having a pair 01' circults both of which may be emptied, oreither of which may be filled while the other is emptying,

which start operation by being filled with fluid and stop operation bybeing emptied of fluid,

' comprising-a reservoir for the fluid, a sump for the fluid, a pump inthe sump having means for directing a larger quantity of thefluid'tothe,

circuit to be filled and means for directing a smaller quantity of fluidto the filled circuit for keeping the circuit filled, means foroperating A said pump to feed said smaller quantity of fluid fluid fromthe pump and direct it to the circuit.

to said circuit, and a control member having a movable valve andinterposed between the pump above the sump, having means to receive theto be filled and to the circuit when filled, and having meansto receivethe fluid from the circuit being emptied and from the reservoir, andhaving means for guiding the emptying fluid from the circuit and fromthe reservoir to the' pump to set in operation the means fordirectingthe larger quantity of fluid for filling the circuit, whereby asmaller quantity of fluid is supplied for keeping the circuit filled anda larger quantity is supplied for the filling of the circuit, andalsohaving' throttle means discharging fluid in the control member tothesump, said fluid coming from the circuit being emptied and from thereservoir when any circuit is emptied, thetime of discharge-of fluidthrough the throttle means determining the time the fluid in the controlmember can actuate the said additional means, all of said valveconnections being made I which may be iilled while the other isemptying,

which start operation by being fl-lled with fluid and stop operation bybeing emptied of fluid, comprising a reservoir for the fluid, a sump forthe fluid, a pump in the sump having means for directing a largerquantity oi the fluid to the circuit to be filled and means fordirecting a. smaller quantity of fluid to the filled circuit for keepingthe circuit filled, means for operating said pump to feed said smallerquantity of fluid to said circuit, and a. control member having amovable valve and interposed between the pump and the circuits, andbelow the reservoir and above the sump, having means to receive thefluid from the pump and direct it to the circuit to be filled and to thecircuit when filled, and having means to receive the fluid'from thecircuit being emptied and from the reservoir, and having means forguiding the emptying fluid from the circuit and from the reservoir tothe pump to set in operation the means for directing the larger quantityof fluid for fllling the circuit. all of said means of said controlmember being operative when the valve is in one position, and havingmeans to provide a direct communication from the pump to the reservoirand to discharge the fluid from the clrcuitsto the sump when emptying toidle the circuits without said discharging fluid actuating the pumpmeans for supplying the larger quantity of fluid when the valve is inanother position, and also having throttle means discharging fluid inthe control member to the sump, said fluid coming from the circuit beingemptied and from the reservoir when any circuit is emptied, the time ofdischarge of fluid through the throttle means determining the time thefluid in the control member can actuate the said additional means, whenthe valve is in said one position.

FRITZ KUGEL.

HELMUT BENZ.

